Sacrifice
by Akito Souma
Summary: Movie-verse. Science, his greatest passion, is a cruel master. But some things require even greater sacrifice. rated T for possible hints of incest, if you reallly squint. Rex/Ana or Cobra Commander/Baroness.


* * *

His sister is perfect.

Perfect as so few things in this world are.

He watches her as she's sleeping. Observes the twist of pain on her face. Her eyes move rapidly from beneath closed lids; she's dreaming, he knows. And he knows what she's dreaming about. Loss, betrayal, the shock that comes with realizing that one is completely alone. Her lips move. He watches with absolute detachment as they form his name. He's not tempted to wake her. No. If she could see what he's become…

He won't kill her a second time.

Instead, he lets her sleep. Gently places his hand on her forehead, savoring the human contact no matter how obstructed it may be by the material of his gloves. It feels like forever since he's been touched. Since he's touched _her_. Held her in his arms. He remembers how that felt. Accepting that it will never happen again stirs emotions inside of him. Emotions that he'd wanted so very much to lay to rest. This feeling, though—sharp like the edge of a knife, and bittersweet—he can endure it for her sake. His big sister. The last of his family. His own flesh and blood. For her he would walk through fire. Again. Even if it wouldn't change anything.

"Ana." He says softly. And the voice doesn't even sound like his own. Vocal cords ruined from the fire and the smoke. It's a harsh rasp now, frightening to hear. He rather likes the sound of it though. Finds it fitting that if he must look a monster then he sounds the part as well.

"I'm going to take care of you, Ana. Just as I promised." He says, knowing that the sedative will keep her from waking. "I will see to it that you become my right hand in my new Empire. The American government will regret what they've taken from us; all the world will cower at my feet, and _you_… only you will be exempt from my wrath. You will be a queen of nations. And I, the _Commander_, of the most powerful army the world has ever known. This is our destiny… Yours and mine together."

He takes the syringe from the tray next to him. Fills it with the tantalizing fluid—millions of Nanorobots, invisible to the naked eye, swimming together in the pale liquid; waiting to fulfill their purpose. He loads the syringe into its gun and places the tip against her vulnerable flesh. With just the press of a button, the needle darts forward, piercing her skin. There's a slight hiss as the skin around the area of contact bubbles, the acid burning the smallest of impressions into it. He breathes out slowly as her system receives the injection. The experience is always incredibly intimate. Like giving birth, he thinks. Like creating life.

He smiles from beneath his mask as she stirs slightly in her sleep. "The pain will pass." He murmurs, although she can't hear him. "Once the Nanomites are active in your system, my sister… I will see to it that you never suffer again."

He withdraws the needle, replaces it on the tray beside him, and takes up the miniature hand-held computer that allows him to control the Nanomites. In a matter of seconds the computer has laid Ana's vital signs and anatomy chart before him. He can see all the inner workings of her body. Every minute detail. The beating of her heart. The expanding of her lungs as they take in air.

He looks up from the screen and watches the rise and fall of her chest as she lies vulnerable before him. Observes again the activity on the chart; her lungs as they inhale and exhale. How amazing it is, to see her this way. It's almost like being inside her. Seeing everything, like this. _Controlling_ everything.

"They will never separate us again." He tells her.

But isn't that what he's doing to them himself? She's his last link to a world he was once part of. And by not telling her the truth… by not giving her a choice… Isn't it like destroying everything they once had? That connection between them, so much stronger than between other siblings, because they _needed_ each other—depended on each other, for everything—when others had parents, other relatives, friends. For so long it had been just the two of them. They hadn't been able to trust anyone else. Even before their parents had died they had been united, clinging to each other for protection from the abuse and comfort from the neglect. Once they'd looked into one another's eyes and been able to communicate without speaking. They'd understood one another completely and inexplicably. Something had passed between them without words, something eternal. Was he not taking that from them now?

"Forever." She'd told him, so long ago. Had it been that long? He remembered it like it was yesterday. "We'll be together forever. I'll never let anything happen to you. I promise."

"I promise." He said now, in the vastness of his great laboratory. The only sounds were those of machines humming, Ana's quiet breathing, and the hiss of his own respirator. It was so very quiet here where there were just the two of them. But it had always been so.

For better or for worse… whether it was right or wrong… he would do this. Keep her near him. Free her from the stranglehold of the system that had left them both for dead. Program her with joy, to erase the pain. Make her forget.

He would see her marry into a rich and powerful family so that all of her material needs would be met. And he would give her a vital role to play… a position of power in the great Empire that he was raising up. He would give her everything, his Ana. Power and privilege beyond her wildest dreams.

And she would never thank him for it. She would never even know… How he prayed to whatever god listened to monsters like him that she would never look upon his face. Never see the scars that had stolen his humanity. Never see the coldness in his eyes.

Her innocence… that was what he was protecting by doing this. Their childhood, the memories of love they had shared. He couldn't take that from her. How could he? And he'd rather see her dead than with the enemy. And he'd rather die himself than leave her suffering alone. No… it was better this way. To keep her where he could watch over her always, and protect her.

Never mind that when she opened her eyes and saw him she wouldn't recognize him. Never mind that he would have to endure endless days of having her at his side, calling him "Doctor", and eventually—as his destiny dictated—"Commander." Never again "Brother." Never again that.

She would be there and she would never see him. She would be there and he would always see her. They would never again embrace…

"_Love_… requires sacrifice." He whispered.

"Ana… forgive me."

A/N: I just wanted to explore Rex's reasons for doing what he did with Ana in this story. I say 'with' rather than 'to', because I don't really see that he harmed her—at least in his mind, he was helping her. That's just my opinion. You're welcome to disagree. Not advocating brainwashing, or anything. I just tend to think that she would have followed him anyway. I mean, her character in the cartoon is a villain willingly throughout the whole series. And I know if it were me I'd be hard-pressed to choose between my brother and my fiancée. I'm one of those people who feels that blood bonds are thicker than any other kind. Anyone have an opinion on the whole Rex & Ana thing? I'd love to discuss it.

As for the possible hints of incest, I know there's nothing blatant in there and I didn't really intend for there to be. I was kind of going from the angle of, they're closer than normal siblings and there _might_ or might _not_ be something else there, at least on one of their parts. It's an interesting concept to play around with. Interpret their relationship in this story however you like.

I do have to apologize because I didn't know the technical terms for a lot of things. I'm not a huge science-whiz so I tried to steer away from that stuff without ignoring it completely—it is such a huge part of the Doctor/Commander, after all. Hope I did an ok job with it.

Anyway, don't forget to review, people. You read it so now you have to let me know what you think. It's the rullllllle! So press that little button and put your two cents' worth in. I will be waiting to receive it. ^^ Thank you for reading! (and offer some constructive criticism in your review please, I would like to improve as a writer. Be kind now, I'm not asking you to insult me. Just mention something you think can be better, and maybe something you liked as well.)


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